Arianespace’s third mission of 2019 — which marked the Vega rocket’s 14th consecutive success — orbited the Italian PRISMA Earth Observation (EO) satellite tonight, bringing the total number of spacecraft lofted by the launch services company to 600 — this was the 308th flight overall of an Arianespace launcher.

Vega begins its ascent from the Spaceport in French Guiana, carrying Italy’s PRISMA Earth observation satellite on the third Arianespace mission of 2019.

Photo is courtesy of Arianespace.

Vega deployed the payload into Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) during a 54 minute mission performed from the Spaceport in French Guiana. The PRISMA satellite had an estimated liftoff mass of 879 kg., with the Vega launcher delivering a total payload lift performance of 953.5 kg. — which included integration and deployment system hardware.

PRISMA (PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa) was produced for the Italian ASI space agency by OHB Italia as prime contractor, with Leonardo responsible for the EO system. Operating from LEO, the satellite is designed to provide major applications for protection of the planet and for Italy’s national environmental safety. PRISMA is equipped with a state-of-the-art electro-optical instrument with a medium-resolution camera and an innovative hyperspectral sensor. Once operational, PRISMA will provide data for environmental monitoring, resources management, the identification and classification of crops, the fight against pollution and other uses.

Artistic rendition of Italy’s PRISMA satellite on-orbit.

Designated Flight VV14 in Arianespace’s launcher system numbering system, this mission underscored the company’s role in deploying EO satellites, as PRISMA was the 70th spacecraft orbited by the company for this type of application. It was highly appropriate that PRISMA was orbited by Vega for Italy, as this lightweight launch vehicle is delivered for launch to Arianespace by Italian production prime contractor AVIO.

Flight VV14 followed Arianespace’s two previous year-opening successes in 2019: the first, performed on February 5, using a heavy-lift Ariane 5 to place the Saudi Geostationary Satellite 1/Hellas Sat 4 and GSAT-31 communications relay platforms into geostationary transfer orbit; while the second employed a medium-lift Soyuz vehicle on February 27 to deploy the first six satellites into a circular LEO for the OneWeb communications constellation.

After tonight’s Flight VV14, preparations continue for Arianespace’s next mission — Flight VS22 — which will use a Soyuz launcher to orbit four additional satellites for the SES-owned O3b satellite constellation. Flight VS22 is scheduled for April 4 from the Spaceport.

Executive Comment

Luce Fabreguettes, Arianespace’s EVP — Missions, Operations & Purchasing, said there was no better way for Vega to start the year 2019 than with this 14th success in a row. The PRISMA satellite is fully in accordance with Arianespace’s motto: Space at the service of a better life on Earth.

Following the launch, Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël said that with this successful launch of the PRISMA Earth Observation satellite, Arianespace has orbited its 600th satellite. The company is proud to continue performing the firm’s primary vocation of ensuring independent access to space for Europe, with a focus this evening on Italy. The mission, carried out for the Italian space agency, ASI, and the Italian industry consortium led by OHB Italia SpA and Leonardo SpA, illustrates the reliability of the Vega launcher, which has performed its 14th successful launch in a row. This launch  also confirms the launcher’s attractiveness as a champion of the EO market, as Arianespace now has 9 Vega and Vega C in its launch order backlog. This third successful mission of the year, following launches by Ariane 5 and Soyuz last month, reflects the excellence and complementary fit of the Arianespace family of launch vehicles.
 

HawkEye 360 Inc. has announced that Admiral James A. “Sandy” Winnefeld, Jr., the former United States Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Mr. Douglas Loverro, former United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, have joined the company’s advisory board — together, Admiral Winnefeld and Mr. Loverro bring extensive experience working for the United States government in the aerospace and defense markets.

The former United States Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral James A. “Sandy” Winnefeld, Jr.

Admiral Winnefeld brings 37 years of experience in the United States Navy to the HawkEye 360 Advisory Board. During his time in the service, Admiral Winnefeld instructed at the Navy Fighter Weapons School and served as a senior aide-de-camp to General Colin L. Powell, among other accomplishments. He also served as the ninth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff until 2015 — the nation’s second highest ranking military officer.

The former United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, Mr. Douglas Loverro.

Mr. Loverro joins the HawkEye 360 Advisory Board with almost 45 years of government service and extensive experience in space for the Department of Defense. From 2013 to 2017, Mr. Loverro served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, before which he was the Executive Director for the Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center. He is currently the president of Loverro Consulting, LLC.

HawkEye 360 uses satellites that fly in a commercially unique formation to independently pinpoint the geographical origin of a wide range of radio frequency (RF) signals. This proprietary source of data enables HawkEye 360 to locate and analyze previously undetected activity, providing new insights for maritime, emergency response, and spectrum analysis applications.

Executive Comments

HawkEye 360 Chief Executive Officer John Serafini said the company is extremely honored to have Sandy and Doug join the HawkEye 360 team as advisory board members. Both have an extensive list of accomplishments and invaluable knowledge that will help guide HawkEye 360 as the firm continues to grow.

Admiral Winnefeld added that HawkEye 360 provides the exact type of intense, high-speed innovation needed to help industry and security partners remain competitive in a highly dynamic world and he feels privileged to have joined this remarkable team as an adviser.

The maiden flight of the Ariane 6 will deploy satellites for the OneWeb constellation — plus, the company has also booked options with Arianespace for two additional Ariane 6 launches.

The Ariane 6 will be available to OneWeb from the second half of 2020 to provide launch capacity that supports the full deployment and replenishment of the OneWeb constellation. The launch service agreement specifies the use of the qualification launch of the Ariane 62 version, scheduled for the second half of 2020; the two Ariane 6 options (either in its 62 version, accommodating up to 36 OneWeb satellites, or in the 64 version, up to 78 OneWeb satellites) will be used starting in 2023.

Artistic rendition of the OneWeb constellation.

Image is courtesy of Airbus Defence and Space.

The OneWeb satellites will be launched by the first Ariane 62 into a near-polar orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers before raising themselves to their operational orbit. The company is building a network of LEO satellites that will provide high-speed, low latency services to a range of markets, including aeronautics, maritime, backhaul services, community WiFi, emergency response services and more. Central to its mission, OneWeb will also be focused on connecting schools and working to bridge the digital divide for people across the globe. With its system deployed, the OneWeb constellation will enable user terminals capable of offering 3G, LTE, 5G and WiFi coverage, giving high-speed access around the world.

Artistic rendition of the Ariane 6 launch vehicle.

Image is courtesy of Arianespace.

The Ariane 6 launch vehicle has two variants — Ariane 62 and Ariane 64 — which allows Arianespace to offer a wide new range of launch services and solutions to customers. OneWeb has already entrusted Arianespace with 21 Soyuz launches to ensure the timely deployment of its constellation, whose first successful launch occurred on February 27, 2019, from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), French Guiana, South America.

Executive Comments

Adrian Steckel, OneWeb CEO, said, the company is delighted to announce this partnership with Arianespace to launch additional satellites for the constellation on Ariane 6. OneWeb’s first launch represented the start of the firm’s mission to provide connectivity for everyone, everywhere, and the company thanks Arianespace for their professionalism and fundamental role in making this launch a success. With OneWeb’s first six satellites in orbit, first customer contracts signed, the company has entered its commercialization phase and is one step closer to the provisioning of global connectivity.

Stéphane Israël, Arianespace CEO, added, that the company is proud to be a part of the effort to deploy OneWeb’s constellation. OneWeb’s choice to fly aboard the first Ariane 6 says a great deal about Arianespace’s DNA: the company has always been at the forefront in bringing together innovation and reliability. This contract illustrates the outstanding versatility of the firm’s future launcher, which will be a champion during the next decade, embracing all market needs. The European Space Agency is also thanked for their allocation to the market this first flight of Ariane 6, which is part of its development contract with the prime contractor and parent company, ArianeGroup.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. (Firefly) has engaged in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus) to develop new space launch solutions for Airbus customers.

Executive Comments

Firefly CEO Dr. Tom Markusic said the company is pleased to enter into an MOU with Airbus to formulate an integrated market offering that will provide Airbus customers rapid deployment of Airbus manufactured satellites and the firm is impressed by the versatility and low cost of the Airbus ARROW platform and Airbus’s investment in leading edge satellite mass production capabilities. This initial MOU covering several launches is the first step of a long-term relationship which will provide Airbus customers the highest level of flexibility for their small satellite launches.

Frederic Sotenberg, Head of constellations Launch Solutions at Airbus Space Systems, added that this partnership with Firefly will provide launch options with direct access to specific  orbits,  flexibility and short notice. The Alpha vehicle addresses an unmet need in small satellite launch and will provide a further option for customers in addition to legacy medium and large launchers in Europe.

Les Kovacs, Firefly VP of Business Development, noted that this flexibility will enable rapid deployment of and replenishment of Airbus customer constellations and the developed integrated solutions will accelerate the global small satellite revolution and the commercialization of cislunar space.

OneWeb has secured their largest fundraising round to date with the successful raise of $1.25 billion in new capital — this brings the total funds raised to $3.4 billion and this round was led by SoftBank Group Corp., Grupo Salinas, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., and the Government of Rwanda.

The new funds, following the successful first launch of OneWeb’s satellites, enable the company to accelerate the development of the first truly global communications network by 2021. OneWeb’s system will deliver high speed, low latency, seamless broadband access, everywhere on Earth.

Artistic rendition of the OneWeb constellation.

OneWeb’s satellites, produced through its joint venture with Airbus doing business as “OneWeb Satellites,” will ramp-up production this spring at its new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Exploration Park, Florida. Following the company’s successful launch of satellites on February 27th, OneWeb will embark on the largest satellite launch campaign in history. Starting in Q4, OneWeb will begin monthly launches of more than 30 satellites at a time, creating an initial constellation of 650 satellites to enable full global coverage. After this first phase, OneWeb will add more satellites to its constellation to meet growing demands.

OneWeb’s priority rights to a large block of globally harmonized spectrum and its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation design will enable a unique combination of high speed, low latency, and truly global service. OneWeb’s network will go beyond the limits of existing infrastructure, enabling connectivity for rural communities and schools as well as for business and industries that demand seamless global connectivity solutions such as Aviation, Maritime, Backhaul, and Land Mobility. OneWeb’s customers will be able to develop and support a wide range of emerging applications that require real-time communication and collaboration.

OneWeb’s network will provide services to billions and will support the emerging digital economy and advanced mobile application needs. To support the deployment of the system, OneWeb relies on high-tech satellite operation centers in both Virginia and in London, and has installed ground stations in Italy, Norway, and Canada, with more on the way. A global company, OneWeb now has offices in Virginia, London, Florida, California, and has recruited top talent around the world to execute the rollout of its system.

Executive Comments

Marcelo Claure, COO of SoftBank Group Corp. and CEO of SoftBank Group International commented that OneWeb has extended its first-mover advantage and is on track to become the world’s largest and first truly global communications network. At SoftBank, the firm’s aim is to invest in transformative companies at the leading edge of technology disruption. OneWeb’s potential is undeniable as the growth in data from 5G, IoT, autonomous driving and other new technologies drives demand for capacity above and beyond the limits of the existing infrastructure.

Ricardo Salinas, Founder and Chairman of Grupo Salinas, said that he has worked for over 20 years to bring network access to people throughout Mexico and Latin America and have seen first-hand the power of connectivity to change and improve lives. OneWeb will have the ability to reach places that have previously been impossible to connect. The company is proud to be supporting Adrian and the entire OneWeb team and are looking forward to creating new opportunities for people everywhere.

Greg Wyler, Chairman and Founder of OneWeb, added the company is committed to bridging the digital divide and this funding helps ensure this globally shared dream will soon become a reality. OneWeb looks forward to continuing this work with the many supportive and forward-looking Governments, ISP’s, and Telecom Operators to help them broaden the reach of connectivity to connect people everywhere.

Following the launch of the first GRUS smallsat (hereinafter called GRUS-1A) on December 27, 2018, Axelspace Corporation has announced the details of the launch of two more satellites of the same type (GRUS-1B and GRUS-1C).

Additionally, Axelspace and Fukui Satellite Technology & Research Association (FSTRA), which have been collaborating on the development of “Fukui Prefectural Satellite,” will launch the satellite with the same launch vehicle as GRUS-1B/1C. The development framework and schedule have also been agreed upon and the contract signing ceremony was held at the Fukui Prefectural Government Office.

From the left side: Yuya Nakamura, the President and CEO of Axelspace Corporation; Issei Nishikawa, the Governor of Fukui Prefectural Government; Tetsuji Shindo, the President of Fukui Satellite Technology & Research Association; Hideyuki Yamada, the Director of Seiren Co., Ltd. Photo is courtesy of Axelspace.

GRUS-1B/1C and Fukui Prefectural Satellite will all become part of Axelspace’s AxelGlobe infrastructure, aiming to eventually capture imagery of the entire Earth landmass each day. After the launch, the number of satellites in AxelGlobe will grow to four, greatly increasing the platform’s imaging capabilities. Axelspace will operate Fukui Prefectural Satellite as part of the GRUS constellation to achieve the highest efficiency.

Fukui Prefectural Satellite will be the first AxelGlobe satellite not owned by Axelspace (it will be the property of FSTRA). While owning only one satellite, FSTRA will enjoy a higher image capturing frequency of its areas of interest thanks to the capacity shared by GRUS-1A/1B/1C. At the same time, by using Fukui Prefectural Satellite’s capacity to its fullest capabilities, Axelspace will be able to obtain imagery of areas outside FSTRA’s areas of interest. By using this kind of win-win collaboration model with other organizations, Axelspace is aiming for an early completion of AxelGlobe.

Here are the details of the launch of GRUS-1B, GRUS-1C and of Fukui Prefectural Satellite.

• Launch vehicle Soyuz-2
• Launch site Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
• Orbit Sun-synchronous orbit, 600km altitude
• Launch operator GK Launch Services, an operator of Soyuz-2 commercial launchers from Russian space ports
• Launch period From Q2 2020

The Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) plans to launch the first satellite, called Nepalese-1, from Nepal on April 17, 2019 (Baishakh 4, 2076) that  has been constructed at the Kyutech University of Japan.

“Preparation of launching Satellite from the space on about 400 miles [400 km] is already ready,” said Sanubabu Shrestha, deputy vice-president of the NAST. “For that, the work of various projects is being done in the office of NAST. “

The amount spent on collective facts and data collected by the Nepalese people in the past has been constructed by the construction of geography. Nepal can take full information in its own initiative on a future day. It is said that through other means of the satellite through other lands, it is possible to take additional service from the nearby landscape.

From collegenp

CesiumAstro, Inc. has closed a $12.4 million Series A funding round led by Airbus Ventures — additional investors in the round include Kleiner Perkins, Franklin Templeton Venture Fund, Lavrock Ventures, Honeywell Ventures, and Analog Devices Ventures.

These funds will be used to scale the team and expand the development of a wide range of frequency offerings and system configurations to meet the growing demand for affordable, high-throughput, aerospace plug-and-play communications systems.
 

Built on a system of scalable and modular “LEGO®-like” software defined architecture, Cesium products turn digital bits into steerable, shapeable radio frequency beams and provide complete communications systems in an easily customizable plug and play kit. Cesium’s fully-integrated systems require only a single power cable and digital connection to make a high-speed communication link. The result is a low-cost, highly reliable, rugged and seamlessly-integrated communications system for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles and other aerospace platforms.

The Cesium components can be modified for any aerospace application and are platform agnostic. Built with Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technology, Cesium products combine traditional aerospace reliability with modern technology on an industrial scale. The plug-and-play communication systems bring phased array technology directly to system designers, replacing a major R&D effort with a single product that works right out of the box.
 
Cesium’s full-stack platforms cover highly diverse applications. With better, higher-speed connectivity enabled by Cesium, the commercial aircraft industry can offer significant productivity gains to every passenger and streamed entertainment to every seat. With a new age of high-resiliency, distributed space systems facilitated by Cesium’s platforms, government satellites can better improve international security. Decentralized remote sensing, imaging, and space-based edge computing are rapidly forming the next generation of data infrastructure, and all of these revolutions democratizing access to space are powered by Cesium’s intelligent phased array platform.

Executive Comments

Shey Sabripour, Cesium Founder and CEO, said secure, reliable and high-throughput software-defined data links are the backbone of next-generation space and airborne systems. This Series A round — together with the tremendous support of the company’s new partners — accelerates the way the firm brings state-of-the-art technology to the core of next generation aerospace communications. For the first time, Cesium’s patent-pending hardware and software system architecture brings full-stack functionality of agile-beam communications payloads, at an order of magnitude lower cost.

Thomas d’Halluin, Managing Partner, Airbus Ventures, Silicon Valley, noted that mega constellations of LEO satellites are launching now and the skies will soon be filled with thousands of high-tech spacecraft; Cesium’s unique abilities to intelligently optimize their power and bandwidth at low cost, literally steering significantly improved connectivity to where it’s critically needed, will accelerate the impact of these constellations’ systems. With their leap in improved performance and lower costs over applications ranging from global communications and tactical awareness to formation-flight small satellites in deep space, Cesium becomes a key partner for Airbus Ventures, accelerating humanity’s ascent of the vertical axis, from the ground to deep space.
 
Wen Hsieh, General Partner, Kleiner Perkins, added that spectrum is a limited natural resource that must be better shared to enable the plethora of mobile devices that require wireless connectivity. Over the next ten years, market demand for spectrum will grow exponentially. Cesium provides small form factor, smart antennas and phased arrays to dynamically re-use frequencies, enabling rapidly-scalable and customizable wireless platforms at high bandwidth and substantially lower cost.

2Operate and GomSpace, together with Aarhus University, are working together within the MegaMan project, funded by Innovation Fund Denmark, to evaluate how existing telecom standards and existing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions developed for the terrestrial telecom sector can be leveraged to manage future satellite constellations robustly and efficiently. As part of the collaboration, the partners have successfully evaluated 2Operate’s existing AI-based 2Solve product using the GOMX-4 satellite mission by GomSpace and the Delfini-1 mission by Aarhus University.

Artistic rendition of the GOMX-4 smallsat.

Image is courtesy of GomSpace.

The use of 2Solve and AI for satellite constellation management help reduce the amount of operator hours required to manage satellite constellations by reducing work-load for network monitoring and for root-cause-analysis tasks, as the AI is trained using expert knowledge to automate these tasks. Further, the automation of these functions means that network incidents can be resolved much faster leading to higher availability of the satellite services.

Based on the successful trials, 2Operate and GomSpace have signed an MoU to strengthen the companies’ collaboration and to prepare introduction of the 2Solve AI-capabilities through GomSpace’s Mega-Constellations Operations Platform (MCOP) being introduced by GomSpace’s subsidiary in Luxembourg.

2solve infographic is courtesy of 2Operate.

2Operate and GomSpace last week jointly exhibited at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, showcasing how the application of the 2Solve product applied to satellite mission management.

Executive Comments

Christian Ingerslev Sørensen, the CEO of 2Operate, said it is very exciting for the company to see how the lessons learned from the terrestrial telecom sector can boost the uptake of advance network management solutions for space — and how well the firm’s product adapts to the new requirements.

Niels Buus, CEO of GomSpace, noted that being able to operate satellite constellations 24/7 with the highest availability is a key capability for GomSpace, and being able to integrate proven solutions reduces both risk and required investments.

The KeyW Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:KEYW) has selected Spire Global, Inc.’s hosted payload service to rapidly validate several of KeyW’s next-generation Innovative Space (InSpace) technologies — Spire’s hosted payload service will also enable KeyW to rapidly deploy larger constellations, as appropriate.

Image is courtesy of Spire Global.

Spire operates one of the largest constellations of smallsats and a network of Earth stations to collect shipping, aircraft and weather data from around the world. Spire also hosts the payloads of third parties on its satellites as part of its “Space-as-a-Service” product.

Executive Comments

KeyW end-to-end mission solutions graphic.

KeyW CEO  Bill Weber said that the company is focused on validating the firm’s next-generation technologies in space to open additional high margin, revenue-generation opportunities for the company’s advanced technologies. By leveraging Spire’s reliable, proven and cost-effective capability, KeyW intends to demonstrate speed and innovation in delivering high priority intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance solutions to core customers.

Spire CEO Peter Platzer added that this contract reflects the firm’s mission to inspire, lead, and create the business of Earth Observation for the benefit of all. The KeyW InSpace initiative is the first of what will be many opportunities for Spire’s Orbital Services to provide fast and cost-effective access to space that comes from using the most scalable satellite platforms available today.